A Vancouver ex-band instructor has been permanently barred from teaching after admitting to sexually assaulting a student. Robert Kyle Ledingham will never be eligible to obtain a teaching license in British Columbia following his guilty plea for one count of sexual assault in May 2024, as stated in an official agreement by the B.C. Commissioner for Teacher Regulation.
Ledingham, a certified teacher since May 2008, was charged initially with two counts of sexual exploitation and one count of sexual assault in September 2020. The accusations involved a student who volunteered at a high school within the Vancouver School District, where Ledingham taught high school band, from April to June 2019. The student’s identity remains anonymous due to a court-ordered anonymity ruling, and they attended a different high school from Ledingham’s teaching location.
The former band teacher pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault in May 2024, leading to the remaining charges being dropped as per the agreement terms. He received a 15-month conditional sentence order, with one stipulation being the prohibition from seeking employment in roles with authority over individuals under 18. The Vancouver School District terminated Ledingham’s employment in November 2024.
Acknowledging his actions as professional misconduct, Ledingham agreed in the consent agreement that he is permanently barred from applying for a teaching certificate.